Amangkurat V
| Amangkurat V | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunan Kuning | |||||||||
| Susuhunan of Mataram | |||||||||
| Reign | 1 July 1742 – September 1743 | ||||||||
| Coronation | 6 April 1742 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Pakubuwana II | ||||||||
| Successor | Pakubuwana II | ||||||||
| Born | Raden Mas Garendi 1726 Kartasura, Mataram Sultanate | ||||||||
| Died | ? Dutch Ceylon | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Javanese | ꦲꦩꦁꦏꦸꦫꦠ꧀꧇꧕꧇ | ||||||||
| House | Mataram | ||||||||
| Father | Prince Tepasana | ||||||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||||||
Amangkurat V (born Raden Mas Garendi), also known as Sunan Kuning, was a grandson of Amangkurat III of Mataram and the son of Prince Tepasana. In 1742, he was installed as the last Susuhunan of the Mataram Sultanate from the Kartasura court, replacing Pakubuwana II during the Javanese–Chinese coalition uprising known as the War of the Chinese Succession (Geger Pecinan).
Ancestry and early life
Amangkurat V was born in 1726 as Raden Mas Garendi. He was the youngest son of Prince Tepasana and a grandson of Amangkurat III. His childhood was marked by violent political upheaval; his father, Prince Tepasana, was killed during an internal court conflict at the Mataram palace.[1]
Following his father's death, the young Raden Mas Garendi was smuggled out of the Kartasura palace by his uncle, Prince Wiramenggala, to ensure his safety. They fled across Mount Kemukus toward Grobogan. During their escape, the group encountered a Chinese merchant, Tan He Tik, who subsequently adopted Garendi.[1]
The Javanese chronicle Babad Kartasura II describes Raden Mas Garendi as a handsome and popular youth. The text states:
Regarding Raden Mas Garendi, he was indeed handsome. His good looks were famous everywhere, especially with the many stories that surrounded him. That he was a wise nobleman, and moreover kind-hearted. It is not impossible that many were pleased to see Raden Mas Garendi.
— Babad Kartasura II[2]
He became known as Sunan Kuning (the "Yellow King") because of his close association with his Chinese allies (Kuning or "yellow" being a contemporary Javanese reference to the skin tone of the Chinese people).
Reign
Geger Pacinan
Initially, Pakubuwana II opposed Dutch colonialism and had called upon his officials and regents to swear loyalty to the cause of expelling the Dutch East India Company (VOC) from Java. In 1741, Mataram forces attacked the Company's fort in Kartasura, resulting in the deaths of ten Dutch soldiers and marking the start of open conflict. Pakubuwana II further dispatched his grand vizier (patih) to assist Chinese insurgents in besieging the VOC at Semarang.
This period, known as the Geger Pacinan, was a massive conflict sparked by the 1740 Batavia massacre, where the VOC killed approximately 10,000 ethnic Chinese in Batavia. The rebellion was led by figures such as Souw Phan Ciang (known as Kapitan Sepanjang) and Singseh (Tan Sin Ko). However, by early 1742, Pakubuwana II shifted his allegiance back to the VOC, fearing he would be deposed if he continued to resist. This betrayal led many Javanese nobles and the Chinese insurgents to turn against him.
In Grobogan, Raden Mas Garendi gathered strength, forming a coalition of three Javanese brigades and three Chinese brigades. He was supported by several high-ranking figures, including:
- Patih Natakusuma: A former official of Pakubuwana II who defected to the rebel cause.
- Raden Mas Said: Later known as Mangkunegara I.
- Tumenggung Martapura: The regent of Grobogan.
- Tumenggung Mangun Oneng: The regent of Pati.
- Singseh and Kapitan Sepanjang: Leaders of the Chinese insurgent forces.
Accession
On 6 April 1742, a meeting was held in Pati to determine a successor to the "traitorous" Pakubuwana II. While some suggested Tumenggung Martapura, others argued he lacked the necessary royal lineage (wahyu keprabon). Tan He Tik proposed his adopted son, Raden Mas Garendi, noting his direct descent from Amangkurat III. Despite initial concerns regarding his potential loyalty, the coalition agreed to his installation.
Garendi assumed the regnal name Amangkurat V. According to historian Liem Thian Joe, he became popularly known as Sunan Kuning ("The Yellow Sunan"). This was partly due to his skin tone and his "yellow" (Chinese) followers, and partly a Javanese phonetic rendering of the Chinese term Cun Ling (Highest Nobleman).[3]
The Siege of Kartasura
In June 1742, Amangkurat V led his combined forces toward the capital. The Chinese militia was commanded by officers named Entik, Macan, and Pibulung, while the Javanese forces were led by Kertawirya, Wirajaya, and Martapura.
On 30 June 1742, the coalition forces breached the walls of the Kartasura palace using artillery. The chaos forced Pakubuwana II and his family to flee under the protection of VOC Captain Van Hohendorff, escaping toward Magetan via Mount Lawu.
Amangkurat V officially took the throne in Kartasura on 1 July 1742. His accession was marked by the Javanese chronogram (candrasengkala) Pandita anom angoyog jagad, meaning "The young leader shakes the world." Following his victory, he appointed Tumenggung Mangun Oneng as his patih and designated Raden Suryakusuma (later known as Pangeran Prangwedana) as a high commander.
Fall and exile
Following his accession, Amangkurat V planned an assault on the VOC stronghold in Semarang. A combined force of 1,200 Javanese and Chinese troops, led by Raden Mas Said and Singseh (Tan Sin Ko), advanced toward Welahan. They engaged VOC forces commanded by Captain Gerrit Mom; however, the Company's multi-pronged counter-attack forced the rebels to retreat. This defeat marked the beginning of a series of military reversals for the coalition. Several key leaders were lost during this period: Tan We Kie was killed on Mandalika Island off the coast of Jepara, and Singseh was captured and executed in Lasem.
By 26 November 1742, the strategic situation for Amangkurat V had become dire. Kartasura was besieged from three directions: Cakraningrat IV advanced from the Bengawan Solo, Pakubuwana II moved from Ngawi, and VOC reinforcements pushed from Ungaran and Salatiga. Realizing the capital could no longer be held, Amangkurat V fled Kartasura and retreated southward with his remaining loyalists.
The final chapter of his reign occurred in September 1743. Cornered in the vicinity of Surabaya and separated from his protector, Kapitan Sepanjang, Amangkurat V was forced to surrender at the VOC factory in Surabaya, then under the command of Reinier de Klerk. After being detained for several days, he and his few remaining followers were moved to Semarang and later to Batavia (modern-day Jakarta). He was eventually sentenced to perpetual exile in Dutch Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), effectively ending the Geger Pacinan conflict.
See also
References
- ^ a b Gondodiprojo, Daradjadi (2014). Geger Pacinan 1740-1743: Persekutuan Tionghoa-Jawa Melawan VOC (in Indonesian). Penerbit Buku Kompas.
- ^ Sastronaryatmo, Moelyono (1981). Babad Kartasura II (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Balai Pustaka.
- ^ Sylado, Remy (2005). 9 Oktober 1740: Drama Sejarah (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia.